Over the last 9 weeks we have reviewed leader characteristics such as Trust, Integrity, Persistence, Patience, Courage, Personal Responsibility, Wisdom, leading by example, and Initiative . Today we focus on Attitude
Attitude is contagious, especially when you are in a leadership role. Positive or negative, your team will soon adopt your attitude. Over time, your attitude sets the tone for the employees and also indicates what is and is not acceptable. Even when you don’t want your attitude to impact the organization, it will.
Leadership is an Attitude “The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company…a church…a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change the inevitable. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you, we are in charge of our ATTITUDES.” Charles Swindoll
Thomas Jefferson, one of our countries founding fathers, said this about attitude: “Nothing can stop a man with the right attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help a man with the wrong mental attitude”.
Your attitude toward others determines their attitude toward you. Simple cause and effect. We are all interdependent. We simply get back what we put out. The success we achieve in life will depend largely on how we relate to others; thus, it could be said that it is our attitude toward life that determines life’s attitude toward us.
It may sound cliché’, but at Pluma we believe a positive attitude is the key to success.
| 7 Reasons You Should Have a Positive Attitude |
| 1. Health: People who have positive attitudes are healthier. There are medical journals saying as much but just take a look at the people in your life. Those with a positive attitude generally live longer and better. They focus on taking care of themselves and stay involved in all sorts of activities. In short – they have a purpose. The key to quality of life is having variety and purpose, having a positive attitude makes people more inclined to seek out a better life. 2. Wealth: It’s also proven that people with positive attitudes are usually in better financial positions than those without. Whether the positive attitude existed before or after the wealth was acquired is immaterial – what matters is the attitude is there. That being said, many a person with a positive attitude had that attitude long before they acquired material wealth. This means a positive attitude was reinforced by success. 3. Socialization: Having a positive attitude means more people want to be around you. The bottom line is not everyone with a positive attitude is a sociable person, but human beings need socialization, just at different levels. No one likes to be around negative people because who wants to feel worse? Being positive also means you meet other positive people, and there are endless benefits to that. 4. Productivity: Having a positive attitude allows you to be more productive at work and around the house. People who have a positive attitude regularly set goals and achieve them. They believe in their abilities along with their ability to overcome obstacles. Of course, productivity is highly valued in the business world, but in your personal life it is extremely valuable. Being able to accomplish things regularly is found in a positive attitude, and it enhances that attitude at the same time. 5. Overcoming Obstacles: We all have difficulties in our lives and with negative attitudes the difficulties threaten to overwhelm people. In a person with a positive attitude, obstacles are just a part of life and something to overcome. The belief that “this too shall pass” allows these types of people to persevere and again, that only builds the credibility of positivity. 6. Meaningful Relationships: Similar to socialization, people need to have relationships with others. Whether these relationships are friendships, workplace relationships, or more intimate relationships, having a positive attitude adds to the depth of these relationships. These relationships become transformative instead of with a negative attitude, where those relationships are transactional. 7. Active Mind: Someone with a positive attitude has an active, curious mind. They are always seeking to learn more about the world around them in addition to fulfilling their responsibilities. These are generally people who are well-read and even if they lack formal education, they’re curious and always finding stimulation in the world. |